Under the Same Stars(51)

Marco scrolled past the decorations section, which had a bullet-pointed list but also an all-capitals comment: PAIGE, YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF THIS!

“Holy crap,” Marco said. “There are games on here.”

“Games? What kind of games?”

I imagined playing truth or dare again and resolved that I had no problem being dared to dive into lake butt-naked. If eleven-year-old Annie could do it in The Parent Trap, so could I!

“Mmm…” Marco scanned the list. “Something called Prosecco Pong. With a note that reads: Mer, bring your dad and uncle Brad’s beer pong table. Not the crappy one Wit made.”

I sighed. “Meredith’s family sounds fascinating.”

“How Well Do You Know the Bride,” he continued. “The Newlywed Game, some type of wedding-themed Mad Libs, and—”

“What?” I asked when he dropped off. “What else?”

Marco’s only response was pressing his lips together, as if trying not to laugh.

Part of me wanted him to break; I loved seeing him burst into laughter—the sight was so palpable that sometimes I could feel the sound reverberate against my cheek.

With no such luck, I glanced back at the laptop screen and noticed the cursor hovering above three words: The Panty Game.

My spine straightened, and Marco took that as his cue. “For this game,” he read, “each bridesmaid should bring a pair of unwrapped panties that reflects their personality. All panties should be hung on a clothesline, and the bride must guess which bridesmaid gave her which pair. Reese suggests Katie should drink every time she gets one wrong. Amanda agreed.”

I disregarded that, too focused on the game itself. “What the actual fuck?” I said. “Panties”—I grimaced, for some reason always despising that word—“that show off my personality?” My face was ablaze. “That’s beyond humiliating!”

“Why?” he asked, totally deadpan. “Are the contents of your top dresser drawer humiliating?”

“No! Lots of black and lace and various shades of blue. Maybe one pair of purple…” I trailed off, my body freezing but lungs fluttering frantically. “Oh my god, why I am talking about this with you?!”

Marco smiled. “Because I don’t think you think I’m such a dickhead anymore,” he said. “I think you like me.” He tilted his head, bemused. “I think you trust me.”

Something white-hot crackled in my core.

I think you like me.

I think you trust me.

“Stop smirking at me!” I snapped as someone called out, “Hey!”

Marco and I turned to see Connor and Lauren heading toward us, both with lacrosse sticks in hand. As captains of our school boys’ and girls’ teams, they never went anywhere without them—or, for the last few weeks, each other. “Hey!” I called back, grateful to Marco for hiding my computer under a couch cushion. The last thing I needed was Connor or Lauren seeing the scandalous Google Doc.

“What’s up?” Connor asked once he’d unlatched the gate and gestured for Lauren to pass through first. Connor was a gentleman, but I resisted the urge to roll my eyes when Lauren settled on his lap instead of sitting in her own chair. She used to mostly annoy me, but now I just didn’t like her; she was clingy and manipulative. Whenever Connor had plans with me or his other friends, she laid a major guilt trip on him. I’d gotten used to third-wheeling them so he could avoid her wrath.

“Not much,” Marco answered. “Mads got home from camp yesterday, so we’re just hanging.”

“I know,” Connor said as his girlfriend wrapped his arms around her waist. “She, Lauren, and I grabbed pizza and water ice last night.” He caught my eye. “It looks like you’re doing more than just hanging…”

My heart jolted. Did Connor think Marco and I were—

“Something serious was definitely being discussed,” Lauren emphasized, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

Okay, no, they just think we’re keeping something hush-hush, I thought, relieved, but still inwardly groaning. Connor was joking, but Lauren was nosy.

“Well, yes,” I caved. “We were talking about a seriously serious subject.” I paused for dramatic effect. “Katie’s bachelorette weekend.”

Lauren squealed. “Everything’s finalized?!”

“You bet,” Marco said. “Date, time, location—”

I elbowed him before he could add activities.

“Mads, I’m so jealous,” Lauren said. “You must be psyched.”

I made a noncommittal mm-hmm noise.

“You are lying through your teeth.” Connor smiled. “You aren’t excited, are you?”

“I guess.” I shrugged. “I probably sound like a spoiled brat, but this isn’t really a vacation. It’s Katie’s vacation; for me, it’s a business trip.”

“You don’t sound like a brat,” Connor said. “You sound like yourself.” He chuckled. “I’ve known you forever, Mads, and knowing you forever means I know that you love going on vacation.” He turned to Lauren. “She always has a hundred tabs open on her computer, and at least half of them are travel blogs. She has an impressive bucket list.”

“And I suspect Stone Harbor isn’t at the top,” Marco said, knocking his knuckles against my knee. “But what do you think about it?”